Inkjet printers that execute recording by intermittently ejecting a liquid are known as one example of recording apparatuses that record recording information by ejecting a liquid onto various types of recording media, including paper, cloth, and film. With such inkjet printers, images are recorded by repeating in alternation a process of positioning a recording medium by carrying it in the direction toward the recording head, and a process of ejecting liquid while moving the recording head in a direction that intersects the carrying direction of the recording medium.
(1) However, if, when recording the recording information on a recording medium, the width of the recording medium is shorter than the width, in the direction intersecting the carrying direction of the recording medium, over which the recording information is to be recorded, then the liquid that corresponds to the information, of the entire recording information, in the area that exceeds the width of the recording medium will be ejected onto the recording apparatus itself, causing the recording apparatus to become dirty and giving rise to a possibility that the recording medium will be wasted.
(2) Also, in recording apparatuses having carrying means for carrying a recording medium, setting means for setting the size of the recording medium, and a recording head for ejecting liquid to record recording information, when the width of the recording medium that has been loaded in the recording apparatus is different from a width of the size of the recording medium that has been set, then there is a possibility that the recording information cannot be properly recorded on the recording medium.
For example, if the width of the recording medium that has been loaded in the recording apparatus is shorter than a width of the size of said recording medium that has been set, then the liquid corresponding to the recording information in the area that exceeds the width of the recording medium will be ejected onto the recording apparatus itself, causing the recording apparatus to become dirty and giving rise to a possibility that the recording medium will be wasted. On the other hand, when the width of the recording medium that has been loaded in the recording apparatus is longer than a width of the size of said recording medium that has been set, then nonuniform margins that differ among the other edges of the recording medium are formed on the recording medium, and for example, when recording borderless recording information on the recording medium, there is a possibility that the recording medium will be wasted.
(3) Also, in recorded apparatuses provided with carrying means for carrying a recording medium, detection means that can move in a direction that intersects the carrying direction of the recording medium and that detects the width of the recording medium in the direction that intersects the carrying direction of the recording medium, and a recording head for ejecting liquid to record recording information, when the width of the recording medium that has been detected by the detection means is different from a preset recording medium width, then it is possible to stop recording of the recording information to the recording medium.
However, because the recording media used by the recording apparatus come in a wide variety of types and resolutions, there is a possibility that a problem will occur if the detection means is designed to detect the width of various recording media all in the same way. For example, if a user wishes to record low-resolution information (such as text characters) on an inexpensive recording medium (such as normal paper) in a short amount of time, then he/she may feel very inconvenienced by the amount of time that is required for the detection means to detect the width of the recording medium.
The present invention was arrived at in light of the foregoing issues, and it is an object thereof to achieve a recording apparatus, a recording method, a program, and a computer system with which recording media can be used effectively without the recording apparatus itself becoming dirty. It is a further object to achieve a recording apparatus, a recording method, a program, and a computer system with which recording information can be efficiently recorded to recording media.